CNCV Annual Campout 2026
We had a great Annual Campout this July, filled with wonderful people, activities, and joy!
We loved visiting with Cherokee Nation artist Pam Bakke, making beautiful mini gourd masks, making corn bead necklaces, getting competitive while practicing syllabary with Bingo, playing rounds of traditional Cherokee games (marbles, graces, and chunkey), and so much joy and laughter together!
We feasted on our tasty bison Indian taco dinner with Three Sisters succotash and peach crisp. We recently were bestowed the Hunger Fighters award for our community, in part due to focusing on traditional foods and feeding our community like we did at the campout.
Honoring Dr. Paul David Terry’s graduation
We also came together to recognize Dr. Paul David Terry, who just completed his Doctorate in Education, focused on Racial Justice and Human Rights Education. His worked centered on ᎦᏚᎩ gadugi, wellness, and joy when doing human rights work. To honor him, we gifted him with a cornbead necklace, Eight Generation Two Spirit blanket, and a beaded eagle feather.
Resilience, joy, humor, and education have long been valued by us as Cherokees. My mother and grandmother both emphasized that education is something they can never take away from you. Getting a doctorate requires intense dedication through challenges. Arriving on the other side successful is an important occasion to mark and honor.
We honor his courage and strength to continue on, meeting difficult moments with light and persistence. He serves as a role model to stay in school (if that’s your thing), but mostly, to not give up, find your passions and pursue them fiercely, be a light for others in the dark, and always in the heart, mind, and action, pursue service to others.
We recognize Paul’s achievement and carry these lessons forward, exemplifying our Cherokee Community Value of:
ᎬᏩᎵᏨ ᏗᏣᏓᏲᎯᏍᏗ ᎢᏤᎮᏍᏗ gvwalitsv ditsadayohisdi itsehesdi (live and never give up on what you start).
We are truly grateful to so many generous hearted people coming together in the spirit of community this year. You fill our hearts with joy and gratitude. ᏩᏙ Wado to our amazing volunteers and board members who worked together to make each campout better and better. The strong sense of ᎦᏚᎩ gadugi in our community is powerful and inspiring. Everyone pitched in to make the day amazing for all. You all lived so many Cherokee Community Values at the campout, like:
ᎦᏚᎩ gadugi (people coming together as one and working to help one another),
ᏗᏣᏓᏍᏕᎵᏍᎩ ᎢᏤᎮᏍᏗ ditsadasdelisgi itsehesdi (you all live, helping one another),
ᏂᎦᏯᎢᏐ ᎦᏚᎩ ᏂᏨᏁᏍᏗ nigaya’iso gadugi nitsvnesdi (in the mind and heart always have the thought of working together),
ᏰᏥᎴᏆᎶᏍᎨᏍᏗ ᏗᎦᎸᏫᏍᏓᏗ ᎦᎾᏅᎪᏉ yetsilequalosgesdi digalvwisdadi gananvgoquo (you all gang up on work whenever and wherever it arises),
ᏗᏣᎵᎪᎯ ᎢᏤᎮᏍᏗ ditsaligohi itsehesdi (live united, work as a team with one another)
ᏕᏣᏓᏩᏛᎯᏙᎮᏍᏗ datsadawatvhidohesdi (visit one another with love, locate and find one another),
ᏕᏣᏓᏝᏂᎪᎯᏍᏙᏗᏕᎨᏎᏍᏗ detsadatlanigohisdodidegesdi (strengthen one another with encouraging words in all that you do),
ᏕᏣᏓᎵᎨᏅᏗᏍᎨᏍᏗ detsadaligenvdisgesdi (you all take responsibility for one another’s wellbeing),
ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏗ ᏕᏣᏓᏰᎸᏎᏍᏗ ulisgedi detsadayelvsesdi (treat each other’s existence as being sacred or important), and
ᎾᏂᎥ ᏴᏫ ᏕᏣᏠᏯᏍᏗᏍᎨᏍᏗ nani’v yvwi detsatloyasdisgesdi (include everyone, all human kind; however many).
Best of all, we loved the time spent together in community as Cherokees, meeting new friends and family!
Until the next campout, ᏙᏓᏓᎪᎲᎢ dodadagohvi!
— Dr. Sabrina McKinney